10 Clues Your Partner is Having an Affair

According to a recent study conducted by Cornell University, a man is more likely to cheat the more economically dependent he is on his female partner.

Christin Munsch, the lead author of the study "The Effect of Relative Income Disparity on Infidelity for Men and Women," suggests that men who make less money than their female partners may be more unhappy and therefore more inclined to cheat.

But, we've known for some time that cheating doesn't happen only for financial reasons. For instance, the findings above wouldn't apply to well-known Americans such as Tiger Woods or one-time Vice Presidential candidate, John Edwards. Furthermore, it's not just men who cheat. Depending on which source you use and what type of cheating you're referring to  for example, emotional versus sexual cheating  between 14 and 55 percent of women have cheated in their relationships.

If you're wondering why it's so hard for so many people to stay faithful in their relationships it's because there are so many factors that contribute to this behavior.

Other factors that make a partner likely to cheat include:

Boredom

Fear of commitment or losing yourself (usually men)

A need for attention

Fear of rejection, so you reject first

Poor examples of relationships from your childhood

Cultural influences

Desire to recapture the feeling of falling in love (usually women)

Feeling neglected or underappreciated

Resentment

A lack of intimacy or romantic feelings  you feel more like siblings or roommates

Signs Your Partner Is Cheating

Not every rift in your relationship signals that your partner is cheating. However, there are some universal telltale signs you should be aware of:

A radical change in mood, behavior or habit, for instance, suddenly going to the gym, wearing new perfume or cologne, or change in style of dressing

Hiding letters, emails or text messages

Suspicious calls, for instance, calls at unusual hours or dropped calls when you answer the phone

Fear of rejection, so you reject first

Passenger car seat moved to a new position

A change in work hours, for instance, suddenly working a lot of overtime or on weekends

A lack of desire to have sex

Unusual expenses on credit cards, such as hotel rooms, flowers or jewelry

Financial records that suggest your partner is paying for someone elses living expenses

Partner is no longer as needy or demanding before

Partner is unusually thoughtful or giving, usually to cover up guilt

Another powerful tool you can use to detect if your partner is cheating is your gut. You may find yourself feeling suspicious or depressed for what may seem to be no apparent reason. If you've noticed certain signs and questioned your partner and he or she still denies the infidelity, trust your instincts.

The Center for Personal Development and Psychotherapy specializes in telephone and face-to-face counseling, treating individuals and couples seeking to improve their relationships. Counseling with Dr. Stollman is designed to help patients in dealing with a wide range of psychological issues. Whether you're looking for Los Angeles marriage counseling or someone to talk to about your depression, Dr. Stollman can help.